WWE Extreme Rules - WHC - Ziggler VS Del Rio VS Swagger: Ladder Match

[Jack-Hammer]

This match was made official on last night's show. Ziggler will take on Del Rio & Swagger in a triple threat match.

I'm not sure if WWE will keep with the angle of Del Rio being injured right through Extreme Rules. If so, it's a means of giving Del Rio an out should he lose. As he put the Cross Armbar on Swagger last night, Swagger might show up with his arm taped up so that things with Del Rio will be on a more even footing.

I expect Ziggler to retain. WWE obviously wants to go the route of making Ziggler look vulnerable as champion, something that can work if they don't go overboard with it. The problem is that, likely, they will go overboard on it.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Pretty simple formula here. Del Rio hurts Swagger, Ziggler takes advantage and pins Swagger. Swagger goes to court. Ziggler and Del Rio likely have one more match to finish the feud before Ziggler moves on to someone else.

Depending on Swagger's schedule or possible punishment, there's potential for an eventual Swagger/ADR feud.

Ziggler wins. I don't expect him to drop the belt so quickly.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Didn't catch Raw last night, so I guess this is where they're going with it, huh! I was thinking that the WWE Championship would be triple threat purely so Henry could take the fall and thus Cena doesn't lose the title and Rybcak doesn't lose his first big match as a heel.

I still don't know why Swagger is involved. He lost at Mania, he lost in a handicap match the next night, his opportunity has gone. The Raw results on WWE.com say Swagger pinned Ziggler last night. Well that's just silly now, isn't it! Why do WWE laways do that when a mid-carder gains one of their world titles. Pointless.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Wasn't there a report not long ago that Del Rio and Swagger would compete at Extreme Rules in a Submission match? I'd still like to see them book this Triple Threat match as a Submission match, and promote it as the Armbar vs. the Ankle Lock vs. the Sleeper. WWE have been making it all about Swagger & Del Rio the past few weeks, having those two injure each other with their submissions, they should start making Dolph look just as relevant and as deadly as they are by having him put Swags & Rio to sleep on RAW & Smackdown with his submission, setting up this Triple Threat Submission match.

If it is a Submission match, I expect Swagger will weaken up Del Rio enough for Dolph to swoop in and Zig-Zag Swag, then slap on the Sleeper on Alberto. But he'll make him pass out not tap out though, a babyface tapping out would make him look weak.

Or maybe Swagger weakens Del Rio's leg some more in the match, Ziggler takes out Swagger, and Ziggler uses the Figure Four Leglock on Del Rio to win the match, which catches The Miz's attention and gets him to call out Ziggler the next night on RAW for using his move, starting up a new feud between Ziggler & Miz over the World Heavyweight Title and the Figure 4. They can even get Flair involved in the feud, have him be the Special Referee of their title match at the next PPV after Extreme Rules, and turn on The Miz and align himself with Ziggler as they originally planned a few months ago.

Whatever happens though, whatever the stip of this match is, the Zig-Zag man walks out still the World Hvt. Champ.

 

[Flash H]

Maybe we'll even get AJ vs Zeb Coulter vs Ricardo Rodriguez!

Seriously though, Ziggler needs to retain and look very strong in the process. No more cheap wins. I know he's a heel, but he needs legit wins.

I might even go as far as having Ziggler hit a Double Zig Zag on Swagger and Del Rio at the same time.

Swagger goes to court, Del Rio feuds with Barrett or Henry? ADR needs to get out of the WHC picture ASAP.

 

[#MrScissorsKick]

I'm actually pretty interested in this match to be real honest here. I'm pretty optimistic about how Ziggler will defend his title on the bigger stage on the PPV. Although, in reality, Dolph has a 33% chance of retaining his title I do expect him to retain. Del Rio gains almost nothing with winning the title back. It's like his Title reign never ended and Ziggler would still be back in the middle of the pack playing catchup with the main eventers. I think Swagger's in this match again to get revenge on his Wrestlemania loss to Del Rio. I don't know about Del Rio and Swagger after this PPV event and what the WWE will chose to do with them. Del Rio and Swagger hit their feud pretty heavily post - Elimination Chamber which I thought would lead to the blow-off at Wrestlemania. Pretty interesting on the WWE's part to make this a triple threat match instead of the traditional singles match. All in all however, I still see no reason to believe Ziggler will be not leaving Extreme Rules without the title. I'm no Ziggler mark, never have been and I doubt I ever will be but Dolph's booking has been aweful. Here's his hope to chance and produce his character to a higher level.

 

[HBsam31]

I think this will be a pretty good match, and I see Ziggler retaining no matter how it goes down. I think Swagger will take the fall and go to court leaving Ziggler and Del Rio to continue the feud. I hope Ziggler looks strong in this, but either way he retains here.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Feels like a Smackdown main event, and nothing more.

Ziggler retains, because it wouldn't make sense for him to lose the title so soon. I expect the monotonous and predictable "heels double team the face, before turning on each other" tactic in this match. Ziggler and Swagger will work together to double team Del Rio, one of them will try to score a quick roll up or pinfall, when someone's back is turned. An argument will follow, and the partnership will be over in a flash.

And I guess you have to expect some shenanigans from Big. E Langston and AJ, if they're at ringside.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I expect Ziggler to retain. WWE obviously wants to go the route of making Ziggler look vulnerable as champion, something that can work if they don't go overboard with it. The problem is that, likely, they will go overboard on it.

Agreed. I like Ziggler, but not as world champion; I just don't think he has the presence and overall strength of character to be on top. Still, I've been hoping the constant show of vulnerability on his part is a prelude to his losing the title quickly.....yet I don't really believe it. I think WWE has been setting him up as the future of WWE for a few years now, and since he's finally won the damn thing, I don't believe they're going to take it from him that quickly.

That said, the 3-way might be a better watch than it seems on the surface. For all that seems weak about Swagger, he did beat Dolph in a non-title match and it's possible he could walk away with the belt at Extreme Rules.

As for Del Rio, I felt his title run was going to be longer, so it's in the realm of possibility he could take the 3-way. I like him as a face (although it remains unexplained why he became one) and I think he features as a champion more than the other two. Still, I think they'll have him re-injure his leg during the match, leaving him unable to take the duke.

Much as I wish it weren't so, Dolph retains.....but at least there's some intrigue.


NOTE: The dismissive manner in which Dolph treated Big E last night is a teaser as to how their relationship is going to end, but while it's uncertain whether the upcoming split will eventually cost Dolph the title, Extreme Rules seems too soon for this to make a difference.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night on Raw, due to Ricardo Rodgriguez winning his "match" against Zeb Coulter & Big E. Langston, Alberto Del Rio won the right to decide the stipulation of this match. Triple threat matches are always no DQ anyhow, but Del Rio announced the additional stipulation that the WHC triple threat match will now be a ladder match.

I like the story that goes along with this stipulation. Del Rio, Swagger & Ziggler are all former Money in the Bank winners and have all cashed in their briefcases successfully to become either World Heavyweight or WWE Champion.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I'd rather they would've went with another stipulation instead. Ziggler in Ladder matches are redundant, I wanna see him in something different on PPV for a change, and even though all 3 men are former MiTB winners this match benefits Ziggler more than it does the other two as he's won two Ladder matches in the last year. Why would they make Del Rio pick something that benefits one of his opponents more? This might end up being a decent match but I just hope it's the last time we see Ziggler in a Ladder match for some time.

 

[HBsam31]

I like the ladder match stipulation given that all three men have won MITB leading to the World title for each of them. I still think Ziggler will retain here, but this has added a bit of intrigue to the match for me. The winner is also guaranteed to look pretty strong here.

 

[WWE4EVA!]

I think these three could have a really interesting match, But I hope to god that they keep the strap on Ziggler. I mean he worked so hard to get to where is today and to only hold the championship for just shy of a month would be humilating for what he has been through.